Tie-plate.



`vented certain new an U NIiiEnA sTATEs PATENT OFFICE.

MARCUS S. OLARKE `0E HOUSTON,I TEXAS,` ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO EDWARD "L..

ADREON`, JR.; OF S'I.` `LOUIS,* IVIISSOURLI.`

Toall whom, t may concern:` o l i Be it `known that` LiMAnoUs S; lCLARKE, a citizen of the United States, andresident of Houston, Harris 1 county `Texas, have i in-` nseful Improve-` ments in 'l`ie-Plates,of` which the following is a specificationicontaning a full, clear,`

and exact description, reference beingghad to theaccompanying drawings, forming a part hereof. y i

My inventionrelates to improvements in tie plates, and the object `of my `invention is to construct a tie platehaving onts upper face a pair of rail engaging flangesfor mem-` bers which normallyistand in positions to receive the base of a rail and a part or parts on the underneath side loflthe plate whose extremity stands in a plane beneaththe body of the plate to act as a fulcrum over the tie so that, when the plate is secured by spiking to the tie,\the cross sectionof the: lateis varied to cause said flanges to standiin posin tions overlapping the base of the rail,

thereby securingfthe rail to theplate. j

A further object of my `inventionis to construct the bodyportion of my improved tie plate with a weakenedportion standing` at an angle relativeitheplane of the body portion of my `plate sothat, when the plate is straightened out; inthe lact. of securing ;a rail to a tie, `the plateLwll: accommodate itself inlength to thewidth of the rail.

With the above purposes in view my invention consists in certainznovel features of construction and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more ifullyl described, pointed out in the claimsand illustrated by the accompanying drawings, inwhichi Figure 1 is a plani view `of my improved tie plate; Fig.; 2 `isan end: elevation of my improved late in its normal condtioni and in dotted ines illustrates the plate after it has been secured by s iking;` andFgnS is a frafrrnental plano :a zmodied form `of spike backing. V

Referring tby numerals tothe accompany-` ing drawings: 1 designatesithe bodyportion of my improved ti'eiplateiwhich may beof` any desired length7 ibut `of a Wvidth less than the base of the rail which `it is designed; to

support.

2-2 designate rail engaging `members exbase of the rail. As shown1 these rail en-` Snecication of Letters Patent. o Application led January `22, 1912. Serial No. 672,739.

Patented Apr. 22, 1913.

gaging :membersnormally `stand vertically or at least inpositions` permitting the placing` of the rail base therebetween. Between `thefbody `portion 1 and the rail engaging members there are depressions 3 in the upper face of the plate, and immediately adjacent the depressions 3 there are depressions in` the lower face of theplate.r

L-ft designate the outwardly and downf wardly inclined tie engagingmembers which at their central `portions have increased thicknesses.` y

The body` portion 1 is provided on ,its`

underneathface with ribsi.

7 designates spike openings which are preferably located diagonally of the plate relative to each other, and in order `to `receive the heads of `the spikes the rail enf gagingniembers 2 are cutaway at 8.

9 designates a screw spike, the head 10 of which occupies the cut away portion `8 of the rail engaging member. The head is `ar` i ranged to ioverlie the base of the rail.

11,.-11 designate longitudinal ribs located in planes outside of the rail engaging members, which ribsserve the function of back-z i ing the spikes` when fully seated.`

In Fig.l 3 I illustrate a modied `form ofi spike backing.: In this modified form `the i spike backing does not extend the length `of the plate.:

As clearly shown in Fig. 2, the main body portion 1 of the tie plate normally stands` in `a plane above the tie and is supported upon the: tie engaging `members 4. en

in this position the rail is placed upon the plate as shown by the full lines in Fig.12.

After the rail has been placed in position` the spikes, such` as 9, are inserted through the openings 7 and are driven or screwed into the tie.` As the spikes are drawn into the tieitheibody tie, the ribs` 6 em edding therein to coper-` portion 1 is drawn to zthe ate with 1th`e spikes to prevent skewingpf the plate over the tie.

I The plate, asa whole, bends only at thel points Band 38L for the reason that at `these` points there is the least metal to resist such bending.l

3 Whentheispikes are `fully seated the `tie engaging, members are drawn to positions paralleling lthe main body portion 1 `of the plate, and, by reason of their being straightened out,1 the rail engaging members `2 will each be inclined inwardly, asshown by` dot- Qsl ted lines in Fig. 2, to secure the rail .to the f The rail .engaging members and.` the tie engaging members ,4 veach preferably eXtends `the length ofthe plate, but obl' viously there may bea number 'of jthe coo-f acting rail and tie. engaging member plate.

throughout .the ,length `of .a :single Iplate. y

:The design of plate shown is one which" permits of the plates being rolled. HoW-- ever, the plates may be cast from malleable porting fsurfa'ee, `there being spike openingsy formed through'v said plate atfor `fn'e'ar the intersection of the tie'engaging members and the body of the plate,and said plate having a weakened portion te-permity it to automatically accommodate itself `inw'idth `to al rail basef 2. A tie plate having a lflat body portin provided with ya raill bear-ing -sura1ce,'-out wardly 4and `downwardly inclined 4marginal Gopieso'f 4this `pazenrrixay 'beobta'ined/for ve cents each, by'addressingffche Commissioner vof Patentl, r

Aextensions of said bodyV ortion which normal-ly hold the -bodyportion inl-a planeabove` la tie, ynormally vertical flanges carried by said extensions, there being spike openings` athmdugh said extensions whereby When spikes are driven through said openings the n s .bodyo-f the plate will be drawn @to the -tie and said marginal extensions will ybe straightened, thereby causing said normallyI Vertical lflanges to `overlie the rail bearingAO v surface inorder to secure th'efbase fof a rail.`

3. E"The improved tie `gelate `having a `railbearing @surta-ee, `integral downwardly Vand opposite margins of 'i the rail-'bearing l ,sur- IJ'ace, and rail-engaging flanges 'conti ous :to

the margins fof :said raid-'bearing 'sur' ace vand i ing of theibodyof the-plate beneath the railengaging `surface to at'ie.

In testimony whereof, I 'havesigned my name Ato *this speccati on, in presence offtwo subscribing witnesses.y

5S; CLARKE.`

Witnesses: i i 4 l *'SmNEY HnL'VnRToN, 4lhrnnnw WLJUS.

Washington, D. 0; f

outward-ly inclined extensionsleading from y 

